Improvement in curtain-fixtures



NITED STATES JAMES B. FISH, -or NEW BRITAIN, AssIeNon To rJOHN r. ooNNEhL, or.

PATENT CETIcE,`l

KENSINGTON, CONNEGTICU'IX IMPROVEMENT IN CURTAIN-FIXTURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 149,457, dated April 7, 1874; application filed October 21, 1873.

To all whom t may concern: f i

Be it known that I, JAMES B. FIsII, of New Britain, county of Hartford, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain Fixtures, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying draw-I `called loaded xtures7 their object and purpose being to so counterbalance the weight of the curtain that it will remain statonary at whatever height it is left, and so that the curtain will voluntarily rise upon lifting the rod in the lower end of the curtain.

The lettera denotes the curtain; b, the cnrtain-roll; and c, acommon journal-pin, having a bearing in the bracket d. On the other end of 'the curtain-roll is a metallic cap or plate, e, having l a central orifice, fitting upon the inner square end of the shaft f. The cap e readilyr comes off the end of the shaft f, but the orice and the end of the shaft are other than round in shape, so that the curtain-roll and the shaft j' shall always rotate together. The letter g denotes the hollow metallic shell containing the main operating parts of the fixture, having one or the other of the side plates (preferably the inner plate gl) removable, so as to afford opportunity for placing in the operating parts. In the upper part of the case g is hung the shaft j', bearing within the case the pinion h, meshing into the gear '5, loose upon the shaft k, one end of which y shaft is other than round in shape, and ts into a Ycorrespondingly-shaped orifice, l, in one side of the case, so that this shaft is held from rotating. A screw, m, secures this shaft to the case, and a screw, n, secures the removable plate g1 in place. To the side of the gear c' is fixed the circular case o, having within it a spring', p, like a common clockspring, the inner end of which is fixed to the shaft 7c, and the outer end fixed to the case o, so that when the gear t' is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow, the spring is wound up.

When the parts are all put together, the curtain-roll is rotated in the proper direction to wind up the spring till the unwinding pressure of the spring counterbalances the weight of` the curtain, when the curtain will remain stationary at any height at which it is left, and it will wind up on the roll by simply lifting the rod r in the lower end of the curtain. rlhe case g is affixed to the casing of the window by screws driven through the feet g2 g2.

The mere combination of a shade-roll, pinion, gear, and coil-spring is, as I am aware, old. It is not this that constitutes my invention, which consists in a peculiar construction and combination of the case and the interior mechanism, whereby the case vis made simple and cheap to manufacture, and readily taken apart and put together afterward for the purpose ofrepairs. .The case ismade in two partsto wit, the body g, forming a cup, and the plate g1, fitting within and closing the mouth of the cup. rlhe shaft k is stationary, and does not rotate, one end of the coil-spring being fastened to it. One end of this shaft is other than round in shape, and ts into a corresponding hole in the side of the cup g, and a screw, m, driven into this end of the shaft secures the shaft to the case. Another screw, n, secures the plate y1 to the shaft, thus forming a very simple and cheap fastening for the case, making use of the shaft for a cross-bar, and making it serve the double or triple purpose of a cross-bar for the case, a shaft for the large gear, and a shaft and point of attachment for the coil-spring; and this makes a case which can afterward be taken apart by any person, even if not a mechanic, for the purpose of repairs. The making of the shaft stationary instead of rotary is essential to this construction.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination ofthe case or cup g, the plate g1, the fixed shaft k, screws m n, and loose gear i, provided with the circular case 2 udma o, all arranged and designed for operation and use substantially as showii and "de-- aduse substantially as shown and described.

scribed.

2. The combination of the fixed `Shinji-J6, y l JAMES B' FISH' loose gear fi, provided with the circular case Witnesses:

o, spIingp,pinionh7 shaft f, and the shade- SIMQNDS,

roller, all'arianged and designed for 'operation JHN P. CONNELL. 

